About the Cemeteries

The Commission is trustee of seven Jewish cemeteries in northern California founded during the period of the Gold Rush.

If you plan on visiting, please do not attempt headstone rubbings or cleaning, as this will degrade the faces of the stones. Some cemeteries are protected by fences and locked gates, please see individual cemetery listings.

A brief history of the Jewish communities who established these cemeteries may be found in A Traveler's Guide to Pioneer Jewish Cemeteries by Susan Morris (Berkeley, CA: Judah L. Magnes Museum) 1996. Plot maps and headstone inscriptions are included. For more information on the families interred in the cemeteries, please contact the Commission.